Nintendo Secretly Showed off the Switch 2 at a Trade Show Last Month

Nintendo gave a select few video game developers a sneak peak at their next console during a trade show last month, according to multiple sources.

The long-rumored follow-up to the mega successful Nintendo Switch was shown behind closed doors at the GamesCom video game expo in Cologne, Germany, according to Eurogamer. The presentation reportedly focused on the graphical capabilities of the new hardware, and included a demo of an improved, higher-resolution version of the The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.

The site Video Games Chronicle confirmed the meeting, and reported that Nintendo also showed a version of Epic Games’ Matrix Awakens tech demo on the new hardware, reportedly using Nvidia’s deep learning super sampling technology, or DLSS.

The Messenger reached out to Nintendo for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Nintendo hasn't announced a new console yet, but rumors of the device have been rampant in recent months. In July, a group of developers claimed they’d received development kits for the new console and were actively working on games; those reports claimed that the new device would play cartridge-based games, feature an LED screen, and keep the Switch's hybrid console/handheld form-factor that has proven popular with users. They also said that the new console would release sometime after March 2024.

The only public reference Nintendo has made to its next console occurred during a shareholders Q&A in July, during which an executive said the company wants users to “transition smoothly” to the next generation of hardware using their Nintendo Online accounts.

The Nintendo Switch continues to be a big seller for the Japanese hardware and game software company, but the device, originally released in 2017, has begun to show its age compared to newer handheld PCs like Valve’s Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go.